Commonwealth Numbered Regulations - Explanatory Statements

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]

MARINE NAVIGATION (REGULATORY FUNCTIONS) LEVY AMENDMENT REGULATIONS 1999 (NO. 1) 1999 NO. 93

STATUTORY RULES 1999 NO. 93

Issued by the Authority of the Minister of Transport and Regional Services.

Marine Navigation (Regulatory Functions) Levy Act 1991

Marine Navigation (Regulatory Functions) Levy Amendment Regulations 1999 (No. 1)

Subsection 8(1) of the Marine Navigation (Regulatory Functions) Levy Act 1991 (the Act) provides that the Governor-General may make regulations for the purposes of subsection 7(2) of the Act which provides for the amount of levy to be paid.

Subsection 7(2) of the Act as amended by regulation 4 of the Marine Navigation (Regulatory Functions) Levy Regulations prescribes the following rates of levy:

(a)       16.5 cents, or such other amount as is from time to time prescribed, for each of the first 5,000 tons of the ship's tonnage;

(b)       16 cents, or such other amount as is from time to time prescribed, for each ton by which the ship's tonnage is more than 5,000 tons but not more than 20,000 tons;

(c)       13.5 cents, or such other amount as is from time to time prescribed, for each ton by which the ship's tonnage is more than 20,000 tons but not more than 50,000 tons;

(1)       13 cents, or such other amount as is from time to time prescribed, for each ton by which the ship's tonnage is more than 50,000 tons.

A review of the levies imposed on the shipping industry recommended that the cost of providing the coastal radio service to ships should be a charge collected as part of the Marine Navigation Regulatory Functions Levy rather than as part of the Marine Navigation Levy (which is intended for the provision of marine navigational aids). It was recommended for the change to be introduced over a maximum period of three years. The first stage was implemented in July 1998. The proposed regulations are the second stage of the implementation of these changes.

The regulations accordingly increase the rate of the Marine Navigation Regulatory Functions Levy from the 1 July 1999 by 12.85 per cent. There is a consequential decrease in the Marine Navigation Levy. The changes to both levies are expected to decrease their combined cost to industry by 7.43 per cent.

Details of the regulations are:

Regulation 1 provide that the regulations are named the Marine Navigation (Regulatory Functions) Levy Amendment Regulations 1999.

Regulation 2 provide that the regulations commence on 1 July 1999.

Regulation 3 provides that Schedule 1 amends the Marine Navigation (Regulatory Functions) Levy Regulations.

Schedule 1:

(a)        substitutes existing regulation 1 to rename the Marine Navigation (Regulatory

        Functions) Levy Regulations as the Marine Navigation (Regulatory Functions)

        Levy Regulations 1992; and

(b)        increases the amount of levy prescribed in regulation 4 as follows:

* For the purposes of paragraph 7(2)(a) of the Act from 16.5 cents to 18.5 cents.

* For the purposes of paragraph 7(2)(b) of the Act from 16 cents to 18 cents.

* For the purposes of paragraph 7(2)(c) of the Act from 13.5 cents to 15.5 cents.

* For the purposes of paragraph 7(2)(d) of the Act from 13 cents to 14 cents.